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Nationals Return Rule 5 Pick Evan Reifert To Rays

By Steve Adams | March 18, 2025 at 11:04am CDT

The Nationals have returned Rule 5 Draft pick Evan Reifert to the Rays, per announcements from both clubs. Washington’s 40-man roster is now at 39 players. The right-hander is back in the Rays organization and will not count against Tampa Bay’s 40-man roster. The fact that Reifert is being returned to the Rays indicates that he first cleared waivers after being made available to the league’s other 28 teams.

The 25-year-old Reifert (26 in May) signed with the Brewers as an undrafted free agent in 2020 and was traded to the Rays a bit more than a year later in exchange for infielder Mike Brosseau. He made his way to Double-A in 2024, pitching 41 1/3 innings of 1.96 ERA ball with an eye-popping 40.4% strikeout rate against a 9.9% walk rate. Despite the gaudy strikeout rate, Reifert was left unprotected last November and was the fifth player off the board in December’s Rule 5 Draft.

Last year’s 9.9% walk rate was higher than average but still far and away the best mark of Reifert’s career. He walked 14% of his opponents in 2021, 12.5% in 2022 and 37% in 2023 (in a tiny sample of 7 2/3 innings). Command has long been an issue, and that was again the case during spring training. Reifert issued a dozen walks and tossed three wild pitches in just 6 1/3 innings (39 batters faced).

Reifert has yet to pitch in Triple-A, but he’ll presumably do so this season. If the Rays can get his walk numbers back to even the 10-12% range, he has the potential to be an impactful big league reliever. The 6’4″ righty features a heater in the 94-97 range and an overpowering slider that MLB.com credits as a 70-grade pitch (on the 20-80 scale). FanGraphs touts that slider as a legitimate 80-grade offering … but couples it with 30-grade command.

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Rule 5 Draft Tampa Bay Rays Transactions Washington Nationals Evan Reifert

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View Comments (14)
Post a Comment

14 Comments

  1. Gwynning

    7 months ago

    “A” for Reifert, Nats!

    7
    Reply
  2. cwsOverhaul

    7 months ago

    Sorry folks, however, we have a no return policy. Feel free to come back, and we’ll make it up to you next time.

    Reply
  3. MacGromit

    7 months ago

    70 grade slider with 30 command? oops. wow, no idea where that pitch will land.

    2
    Reply
    • Gwynning

      7 months ago

      Sounds like Austin Adams!

      1
      Reply
  4. SweetBabyRayKingsThickThighs

    7 months ago

    Wear and elbow guard and don’t swing when he’s on the mound.

    1
    Reply
  5. Slappy Dappy Doo

    7 months ago

    This dude clearly did not want to play for the Nationals. Best way to make that does not happen is to stink it up in camp. 16 walks in 41 1/3 innings last year. 12 walks in 6 1/3 this spring.

    Reply
    • dclivejazz

      7 months ago

      Maybe, but for a lot of people being a Rule 5 guy can be their best chance to make a big league roster.

      7
      Reply
    • believeitornot

      7 months ago

      Maybe he didn’t want to be close to the trumpster. It’s hard to go from AA to the show. Better to do AAA.

      Reply
    • Steve M.

      7 months ago

      Dumb take.

      Reply
  6. dclivejazz

    7 months ago

    Good. There was no reason to clog up a roster spot with Reifort and then hardly use him, as they did with some other Rule 5 guys over the previous two seasons. Maybe they could have afforded to take that chance then (and it may have worked out afterwards with Nuñez) but it’s time to press for better results.

    5
    Reply
  7. dajuba

    7 months ago

    He just needs glasses, doesn’t anybody watch movies anymore, he’s “wild thing”!

    2
    Reply
  8. Tom the ray fan

    7 months ago

    Rifling Reifert!!! See you in Durham

    Reply
  9. Old York

    7 months ago

    K% is improving but it looks like he needs some more work on the farm.

    Reply
  10. GooseGoslinGuy

    7 months ago

    The ghost of Steve Dalkowski returns.

    Reply

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